Efficacy of the Word - Ephesians 3 - Including Greek for the Majority of Pastors, Bishops, and District Presidents Who Never Studied Biblical Languages or Luther.

 

 

King James Version

KJV Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. 

Stephanus Traditional Ephesians 3 

16 ινα δωη υμιν κατα τον πλουτον της δοξης αυτου δυναμει (able) κραταιωθηναι δια του πνευματος (through His Spirit) αυτου εις τον εσω ανθρωπον (in the inner man)

3:17 κατοικησαι τον χριστον (dwell with Christ) δια της πιστεως (through the Spirit) εν ταις καρδιαις υμων (in your hearts)

18 εν αγαπη ερριζωμενοι και τεθεμελιωμενοι ινα εξισχυσητε καταλαβεσθαι συν πασιν τοις αγιοις τι το πλατος και μηκος και βαθος και υψος

19 γνωναι τε την υπερβαλλουσαν της γνωσεως αγαπην του χριστου ινα πληρωθητε εις παν το πληρωμα του θεου

20 τω δε δυναμενω υπερ παντα ποιησαι υπερ εκ περισσου ων αιτουμεθα η νοουμεν κατα την δυναμιν (power of the Holy Spirit) την ενεργουμενην εν ημιν (at work in the Word in us)

21 αυτω η δοξα εν τη εκκλησια εν χριστω ιησου εις πασας τας γενεας του αιωνος των αιωνων αμην

Explanation

This is well known as a passage about the power of prayer, even more appreciated with the efficacy of the Holy Spirit in the Word. The Bible consistently repudiates false doctrine, but many plunge ahead anyway with their schemes, without a map and without more than a clue about the meaning of these verses.

As shown by Thy Strong Word, the Spirit/Word union is taught throughout the Scriptures, Luther's writings, the Book of Concord, and many historic hymns.

The Church of Rome gives all earthly power to the Pope and his massive bureaucracy. The non-Lutheran Protestants often rely on the length and emotion of prayers. Some are so separated from the text of Ephesians 3 that they neglect the Word and rely on the Holy Spirit without the Word. 

The weakness and apostasy of the institutional Lutherans is shown by their aping of Calvinism and Romanism, their repugnance toward Luther, the German Reformation, and the Book of Concord.

The two, neglected key words from this passage are power (referring to the Holy Spirit) and (worketh - referring to the Word). 

When the Father commanded the Creation, Six 24-hour Days, the Son as the Word executed the Commands. This is clearly shown and mostly ignored by Church Growth (sic) and Rationalism.

The Son of God - the Logos - created everything in the universe in Six Days. The Holy Spirit hovered over Creation and serves to teach us what belongs to the Father and the Son. 

Ephesians 3 - especially verse 20 - combines the work of the Spirit and the divine power of the Word. 

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us...

When we pray at the beginning or end of the day, we should name all those we know who have special problems, challenging health issues, anxieties, and requests for God's guidance. The greatest burdens can become the greatest blessings. Do not ask me how or when. That is handled by Management and beyond our comprehension.